The works ofH.P. Lovecrafthave inspired countless incredible horror movies, and thegreatest Lovecraftian releaseof the past two decades boasted a young Chris Hemsworth among its cast. As a writer whose work was concerned with the unknowable terror of the universe, the cosmic dread inherent in existence, and the mental anguish of simply being alive, the themes and ideas originated by Lovecraft have informed many of thebest horror movies of the 21st century.
While there have been plenty of incredibleLovecraft adaptationsover the years,director Drew Goddard and co-writer Joss Whedon captured the essence of his appeal in a cult classic 2012 release. As a fascinating horror satire that shone a light on the tropes and cliches of the genre, it’s amazing how this Lionsgate modern classic blended exceptional storytelling with timeless Lovecraftian themes of existentialism and the dark implications of a vast, unknowable universe filled with ancient threats and bleak terrors.
Why Cabin In The Woods Is The Best Lovecraftian Movie Of The Past 20 Years
It Was Both A Clever Horror Satire And A Genuinely Compelling Scary Movie
The Cabin in the Woodsstarted off with a typical slasher movie premiseas a group of teenagers planned to spend the weekend at one of their cousin’s cabin in the woods, a setup that has been seen time and again in movies likeThe Evil Dead. With this, audiences may think they know what they’re in for, only to be later confronted with the most effective Lovecraftian movie of the past 20 years. WhileThe Cabin in the Woodsfelt familiar initially, as the dark truth of the cabin unfolds, everything changes.
That’s because the so-called cabin that the college student protagonists were staying in was anything but normal and actually part of a secret underground facility orchestrating their every move. From here, the true Lovecraftian underpinnings of this story reared its head, revealing a hidden world of ancient gods, cosmic rituals, and humanity’s insignificance in the face of unknowable forces. By the time the third act arrives,The Cabin in the Woodshas transformed from a clever genre parody into a full-blown exploration of cosmic horrorpacked with countless supernatural forces.
With characters whose fate was predetermined, the satirical wayThe Cabin in the Woodsplayed with genre tropes embodied much bigger Lovecraftian themes around the futility of rebellion against cosmic forces. The college students represented five sacrificial archetypes in horror, including the whore, the athlete, the scholar, the fool, and the virgin, and their ultimate demise highlighted how Lovecraftian terror trumps genre tropes. While many would assume the virgin, Dana Polk (Kristen Connolly), would inevitably survive, her death highlighted howThe Cabin in the Woodshas more in common with the themes of Lovecraft than pre-established horror movie conventions.
Another great performance was Chris Hemsworth as Curt Vaughan, the sociology major dubbed the athlete. As a handsome and charismatic male lead, Curt represented the typical sporty star seen in other movies like Barry Cox inI Know What You Did Last Summer. Curt was viewed by the movie’s Ancient Ones as the perfect embodiment of this archetype, and during his stay at the cabin, he was chemically altered to become more jock-like. It was great performances like Hemsworth’s that helped ensureThe Cabin in the Woods’sstatus as an all-time great Lovecraftian story.
Cabin In The Woods Could’ve Started A Lovecraftian Movie Franchise Of Its Own
There’s So Much Untapped Series Potential In The Cabin In The Woods
The influence of H.P. Lovecraft onThe Cabin in the Woodscan most prominently be seen through the Ancient Ones, the race who wish to revive themselves and destroy humanity. As creatures who require blood from ritual sacrifices to wake themselves up from their sleeping state under the Earth, these antagonists point toward endless mythology that could be continually expanded in subsequent sequels, spin-offs, and extended media. With a Cthulhu-like creature even spotted at one point in the facility, it’s impossible not to imagine howThe Cabin in the Woodswould have played out if given the franchise treatment.
The Cabin in the Woodsrevealed a collection of various monsters whose purpose was to assist in the murdering of five sacrifices in the Ritual of the Ancient Ones. These included aliens, mutants, mummies, vampires, zombies, and many more horror, sci-fi, and Lovecraftian creatures.
HadThe Cabin in the Woodsbeen the inception point of its own Lovecraftian franchise, different installments could have satirized different aspects of the horror movie landscape and been a more cosmic answer to other satirical works like Wes Craven’sScream.The Cabin in the Woodsended on a terrifying note with the Ancient Ones successfully awakening and offers the potential for an epic sequel exploring the consequences of a post-apocalyptic landscape ruled by Lovecraftian monsters.
The hints and allusions to various creatures seen in the facility also point toward a litany of prequel or spin-off stories focused on the origins of these creatures, different facilities around the world, or even an anthology series that tackles various aspects of Lovecraft’s legacy.The Cabin in the Woodswas an excellent standalone movie, and it’s surprising that its franchise potential hasn’t been properly explored in the years since its release.
Lovecraft’s Influence On Modern Movies Is As Strong As Ever
The Thematic Groundwork Laid By Lovecraft’s Work Pop Up Repeatedly In Modern Horror
WhileThe Cabin in the Woodswas an excellent example of Lovecraftian themes expertly explored in modern horror, it’s far from the only example. In recent years, Nicolas Cage moviesMandyandColor Out of Spacehave found great success due to the pairing of Lovecraftian influences with that actor’s firm commitment to play every role he gets with a level of intensity most performers can only dream of. Lovecraft’s writing taps into the futility of pushing back against powerful cosmic forces that we do not understand, and this is a timeless theme that will never not be relevant.
Incredibly well-constructed worlds like the Shimmer in Alex Garland’sAnnihilationwere also very much informed by the works of Lovecraft. There’s also no denying that the mental anguish felt by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe inThe Lighthousewasn’t representative of the kind of psychological unraveling felt by countless Lovecraft characters. WhileLovecraftreleased many of his most iconic stories more than 100 years ago, it’s a testament to his undeniable influence over the horror genre as a whole that his legacy can still be felt so strongly today.
